Chapter 25 Morgan
Morgan
The wait nearly killed her.
Maybe that was dramatic, but Morgan couldn’t help thinking it. Standing outside Danielle’s apartment door felt like the longest she’d waited for anything in her life.
Again, dramatic.
Morgan wasn’t dramatic. Excitable, yes. Sometimes. But not dramatic.
Yet, here she was, convinced her life would be over if that door didn’t open soon.
The click of a lock set her heart racing, and a few seconds later, Danielle appeared in the doorway. She was wearing sage green linen pants with a ruffled white blouse that popped against her tanned skin and sparkling green eyes.
She was gorgeous.
This was a mistake.
“Hey, come in,” Danielle said. “If we have a second?”
“Yeah, sure.”
She entered the apartment, grateful she’d left a few minutes early. Even more grateful to be in Danielle’s home again. It felt so comforting in there. So full of life. So Danielle.
“Morgan, this is Gerri,” Danielle said, gesturing to the dark-skinned woman with cropped hair and a cheerful smile. “Gerri, Morgan.”
“Nice to meet you,” Morgan said.
Danielle had mentioned having a friend who would stay with Lila while she was gone. Morgan got the impression she was more like family than just a friend. Especially now that she knew Danielle’s mother and grandmother had passed away.
“Likewise,” Gerri said.
“Morgan!” Lila appeared in the hallway, a big grin on her face. “Mom said I couldn’t ask you to help with my homework again.”
Morgan laughed at the tattling early-teenager. “Not tonight,” she said. Then she glanced at Danielle. “Maybe another time.”
She realized in that moment that she wanted desperately for there to be another time. But the possibility of fitting into Danielle’s life wasn’t the only obstacle. The reverse was another consideration.
Danielle had so far proved that she didn’t give a care about Morgan’s money, and the idea of Morgan’s family didn’t seem to scare her away, either. But maybe that would change after the weekend. Perhaps Morgan’s changing feelings weren’t worth considering after all.
“Maybe,” Danielle said.
Morgan couldn’t help catching the slight touch of hope in that word.
Could Danielle possibly feel the same way?
No, that rejected kiss in Morgan’s car still said otherwise.
Danielle grabbed her purse from the counter. “We should probably head out. Right?”
“Only if you’re ready.”
“Ready as I’m gonna be,” she said with a smile that let Morgan know it was a lighthearted joke, not really serious trepidation. Then she turned to Lila and Gerri near the couch. “Behave for Aunt Gerri.”
“Mooooom, I’m not a little kid.”
“We’ll be fine,” Gerri said. “Don’t worry about us. I’m good here for however long your thing lasts. Go have fun.”
Morgan wasn’t sure how much fun this was going to be, but she was sure she was glad to have Danielle by her side.
They said their goodbyes then headed out to Morgan’s car. Once they were inside, Morgan turned sideways to face Danielle.
“Okay. So let me give you the rundown of what to expect. Then you can decide if you still want to come with me.”
Danielle laughed. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“My sister, Felicia, will be fine. She knows I’m bringing a friend—a female friend—and she’ll be busy mingling.”
“Got it. Don’t worry about your sister.”
“My aunts…well, they’re nosy as hell. Tell them as much as you want, I don’t care, but be warned that they’ll say, ‘Interesting,’ a lot. In that tone, you know? So tread with caution.”
“Got it. Nosy aunts.”
“My mom,” Morgan said. “My mom is a piece of work. She will be judging you, and you’ll know it.
Just know it won’t be you. She’s like that with everyone.
And I mean everyone. She especially hates the fact that I’m gay, so telling her we’re friends won’t matter.
She’ll still hate that you’re there. Ignore her. ”
“Got it. Don’t take your mom’s reaction personally,” Danielle said. “Is that it?”
Morgan couldn’t believe how Danielle was taking everything in stride. It really seemed like she’d be able to handle all of this. Or maybe she was underestimating how terrible all of this would really be. Maybe Morgan hadn’t been clear enough about the terror that awaited them.
“That’s it,” she said. “That’s enough. I promise it’ll be a lot. Still in?”
“Yup. Still in.”
It took all the willpower Morgan had to resist leaning over and kissing this woman. Again. But she didn’t think her heart could handle a second rejection.
No, she knew it couldn’t handle it.
“Good,” she said. “Thanks for this. I mean it. It’ll be nice to have someone there who I know is on my side.”
“Of course,” Danielle said. “Looking forward to it.”
Morgan gave her an appreciative smile and started the car before she lost all of that willpower and made another fool of herself.
Morgan finished the last of her duties for the evening, trying to absorb all the instructions she’d been given.
How to walk, where to stand, when to sit.
Catholic weddings were so weirdly scripted.
She didn’t understand the point of it all.
Just walk up, say the stuff, then you’re married.
Everyone can party in your honor. No need for all the rigidity.
She walked to the back of the church, where she found Danielle smiling at her from the last pew. She was sitting beside one of Morgan’s potential nightmares for the evening. Her cousin, Lana.
“Hey, Lana,” she said. “Brought your mom?”
“Yeah,” Lana said with a sigh. Her big brown eyes showed a hint of resignation as her thick bangs fluffed with that sigh. “Doctor said she shouldn’t drive anymore, and she’s doing a reading at the wedding. I love coming along and seeing everyone, though.”
Morgan could imagine. Lana had always been one of the most gossipy of her cousins.
“And you know how much I adore Jen,” Lana continued, “but I was so glad to sit with your other friend here. Danielle, right?”
Morgan looked at Danielle, who sat quietly beside Lana.
Her blonde waves draped perfectly over her shoulders in that ruffled white blouse.
Morgan looked for signs of regret or panic or anything that might send her running for the door, but she didn’t find a hint of those.
In fact, Danielle looked like she was actually enjoying their conversation.
“Right,” Danielle said politely. “And likewise.”
“Ooh, looks like Mom’s ready. I’d better get her to the car before everyone starts shuffling out of here around her and she loses her balance.”
She hurried out of the pew and met a late middle-aged woman with a cane and a wrapped knee.
“Nice to meet you,” Danielle said to her back.
Morgan slid into Lana’s spot beside Danielle. That had always been her favorite part of church. She’d slide all the way down a pew to their seats. It drove her mother nuts, which was part of the fun.
“Sorry about that.”
“No need to be sorry,” Danielle said. “If that’s how this night’s going to go, there was no need to warn me about anything.”
“Oh, Lana won’t be the big problem,” Morgan said. “She’s the easiest person to deal with. At least to her face. Whatever you told her, though, will be making the rounds among everyone else here before we even get to my aunt’s house.”
“Well, I promise I didn’t say anything I shouldn’t.” Danielle shifted ever so slightly on the wooden bench. “We’re friends. We met at Kim’s thing. I’m a boring teacher with a kid. That’s all there is to tell. Right?”
Morgan fell into Danielle’s mossy green gaze and decided she never wanted to leave that place. There was hope mirrored back at her.
Hope.
“Right.” She closed her eyes and shook her head, then faked a smile. “Yeah. Right. That’s it.”
If she hadn’t known any better, she’d have thought she'd seen a hint of disappointment staring back at her.
But that couldn’t be right. Danielle had been the one to break off their kiss. And she’d just clarified that they were friends. Nothing else to it.
A small but confident smile stretched across Danielle’s face, erasing any sign of disappointment or reservation about the whole thing.
“Well, I’m ready for whatever’s next,” she said. “And the food.”
“Don’t forget the food.” Morgan smiled back, her heart filled with warmth and something deeper for this woman who was prepared to face an upcoming viper pit with her. There was no thanks that could ever cover what this meant to her. No words at all for how she felt.
No, that was a lie.
There were words.
She was just too chicken to use them.